Review:

The Island of Missing Trees is a magical tale of identity, love, trauma and belonging. The book narrated the horrific human destruction of nature and the ultimate renewal of it.

The sensory imagery in Elif Shafak’s novel enveloped me with every page. Regardless of the book being spread over three different time periods, everything is interconnected in a sublime manner. You grasp the different time periods very well with the character representation.

I found that the book had a great balance of being character and plot driven. Without one dominating the other.

However, my favourite aspect of the book was the use of personification, everything came alive in a mystical form without lacking the humanistic aspect. It allowed me to understand but also to feel along with the personified features.

If you enjoy Elif Shafak’s writing you are going to fall deeply in love with this novel. Not only does it incorporate everything we love in a book but it provides an incredible experience for the reader.

Link to Review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSMbnk3o1Bb/?utm_medium=copy_link

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of The Island of Missing Trees.

I was very excited to read this as I really enjoyed Shafak's previous novel: 10 Minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world.

Overall, I was a little underwhelmed. Having said that, I still feel it warrants the four stars awarded.

What makes this novel stand out is the structural choice to write it as a dual narrative: from the perspective of a young girl, Ada, coming to terms with her mother's death and a fig tree (!) Initially I felt this a strange choice but was ultimately convinced this was an effective decision. The novel feels like a coming of age story that could easily be categorised as YA fiction. However, some of the themes are more adult.

Place is another authorial method the writer uses with purpose. The novel is set in the UK but reflects on the history of the main character's parents and the conflict they experienced as they come from two quite different cultures: Greek and Turkish. I found the history interesting as I was unaware of the 1970s conflict on the Greek Islands.

I would have liked to see the characters developed further. They felt quite two-dimensional and as such I didn't really empathise with them and their story, which was where I felt the novel let itself down. The writing contained an abundance of similes and metaphors and as a result lacked subtlety.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot, the narrative switched perspective seamlessly and there were a few interesting twists that kept things interesting. (less)

I loved this family saga set in Cyprus during the 1970s partition and in present day London. I did feel the fig tree who narrated part of the book was maybe a little too omniscient and knowledgeable about human history, but I kind of liked that about her!

The Cyprus parts of the novel were particularly evocative and I learned a lot about the history and culture of the island in amongst the gripping storyline.

A recommended read for readers who enjoy character driven plots and recent European history.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

The Island of Missing Trees is a bewitching, lyrical and richly magical story about belonging and identity, human destruction of nature and restoration. Defne and Costas are on opposite sides of a divided country; she is Turkish, he is Greek, they both call Cyprus home, and their love is forbidden. The only place they can meet is the Happy Fig tavern, so named because of the miraculous Ficus carica tree that grows in the middle of the room. That fig tree will witness their happy encounters and quiet partings, but it will be there even when war breaks out, turning the city into a ruin and separating lovers. Decades later, 16-year-old Ada, born in London, begins to take an interest in the land of her ancestors. She has never visited Cyprus, and the only connection to that island is the fig tree that grows in her backyard. What kind of story will unfold in front of Adam once he dives deeper into family secrets?

This is a captivating, alluring and thoroughly moving work of magical realism about the breadth and depth of trauma, the yearning to belong, the need for love and the importance of self-acceptance. Award-winning author Shafak brings us a lavish story contrasting love and pain, memory and oblivion, our desecration of nature and finally - renewal, in every sense of the word. All of life's trials and tribulations are seen through a veil of hope and optimism for the future and followed by a sense of healing and re-energised thought. Written sensitively and compassionately and in whimsical prose, this enchanting tale teaches us to connect not only to those around us but ourselves and the world too. A profoundly moving, powerful and transporting tale of roots, renewal and talking trees. Simply exquisite storytelling peopled with characters who are engaging and elegantly painted. Highly recommended.

This was my first encounter with the writing of Elif Shafak and, coincidentally, with the genre of magical realism. And, if I’m honest, I’m not sure quite what to make of it. I’d compare it to experimenting with a new hairstyle — you have to keep examining the cut, the shape and the color from different angles to decide if you like it. And, with this book, I’m not handing over my money just yet.

What I did like, without a doubt, was Shafak’s gorgeously lyrical prose and her evocation of time and place. I even developed a soft spot for the omniscient fig tree narrator, which was probably my favorite —if essentially unreliable — voice.

The story, however, seemed only half formed. Told over two timelines, it is set partly against the violence of the partition of Cyprus in the 1970s, where we learn of the forbidden love affair between teenagers Kostas (Greek and Christian) and Defne (Turkish and Muslim); and partly in present day London, where 16 year-old Ada, their daughter, now motherless, is in the middle of an existential crisis.

Shafak tackles multiple themes (maybe too many), including race, religion, migration and identity, as well as love, loss and grief. But, it’s clear that she also has important messages to convey about nature, its interconnectedness, and mankind’s careless treatment of it. In fact, it is this that comes across as the raison d’être of the novel.

I found myself fascinated by the idea of this wise old fig tree as a living, breathing being with thoughts and feelings and an ability to communicate with other creatures. By weaving together elements of truth and fantasy, Shafak creates a magical world that is hard to deny.

But — and it’s a big but — I wanted so much more from the human characters, especially Ada, whose rootlessness, as a child forbidden her heritage, struck a strong emotional chord. For me, she was the person who united all the themes, and I wanted to understand her better.

So while this made a pleasant change to my usual reading matter, I didn’t fully connect with it — a bit like that iffy haircut I had back in the day. Sometimes it better to stick with what we’re used to.

The Island of Missing Trees is a poignant tale of love, heartbreak, and heritage as Elif Shafak explores the lives of the protagonist, Ada, and her family. Growing up in modern-day London, Ada knows very little of her parents’ upbringing in the war-torn capital of Cyprus. I am guilty, myself, of not knowing much about the Cypriot Civil War of the late 20th century, as I am sure many others are. Shafak brought together historical fiction with the relatable setting of 21st century London to tell the tale of so many through one fascinating family. Since reading the novel I have even looked further into the history, and Shafak’s list of her sources at the end of the novel give it a credible quality which the reader can use to learn more about the historical events that form the basis of the story.

The changing perspectives throughout the novel are cleverly employed to tell the story that spans multiple decades, countries, and families. One particular perspective is unlike any other I have read – that of the Fig Tree. Reading sections through the perspective of the ancient tree was enlightening and beautiful. It took some time to adjust to the perspective, but Shafak reminds us of the similarities and connections between humans and nature, and beautifully blends the narrative of the tree with the stories of Ada’s family members to fill in parts of the tale that the human characters could not reach. The inclusion of Greek and Turkish words added a sentimental quality to the novel, and the addition of a Glossary at the end helped to blend these into the novel so that meaning was added instead of lost through their use. Shafak also includes mental health in the novel, and we see how it can impact multiple people in different ways. She reminds the reader that mental health issues are not something to be ashamed of, and that in talking about them with others it can become easier to manage.

Shafak, in her ‘Note to the Reader’ at the end of the novel, describes the tale as “a mixture of wonder, dreams, love, sorrow, and imagination”, and I couldn’t think of a better way to sum-up this beautiful tale with its enchanting characters and its equally heart-warming and heart-breaking conclusion.

On an enchanting tale of division and the natural world, loss and love. My August has started strong when it comes to reading. This book is a stunning piece of storytelling that’s equally moving and transporting. I received an advanced copy last week and had it not been for a very busy period at work, I would have finished it earlier. Set in London and Cyprus, Elif Shafak flawlessly weaves together a forbidden love story with the recent history of Cyprus and the wonders of the natural world.⁣
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The book itself begins in late 2010s with Ada Kazantzakis, a teenager in North London who breaks downs and screams in class. She lost her mum eleven months earlier, is left with her dad, and has never met any of her Cypriot relatives. The narrative switches from the present day to 1974 in Cyprus when her Turkish Cypriot mum and Greek Cypriot dad, Defne and Kostas, were secretly dating. They were eventually separated, only to be reunited many years later. Whilst I was not entirely ignorant of the civil war history, largely thanks to some really good Cypriot friends, reading about the impact of such cruel division on the Greek and Turkish communities was heartbreaking. It made reflect again on the ugly side of war, what it means for our humanity and the traumatising impact that could last for forever. ⁣
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The most magical part of the book is definitely on the narration by the fig tree. I initially wasn’t too sure if I was going to enjoy reading a novel narrated by a fig tree, but how wrong was I? It ended up being my favourite character, one with so much wisdom. I don’t think I’m alone, do you agree? ⁣
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I hope that you’ll give it a go. Why would you not when it’s a beautiful story of healing and hope?

When Kostas - one of the main protagonists of this novel - first visits the island after many years in England, he stumbles across a stamp in a shop: 'So much symbolism packing into 4 sq cm of paper,' he notes to himself.

It's an observation that can be equally applied to Missing Trees - this is a story so rich in symbols each one could have easily had it's own full-length novel dedicated to it.

Shafak has a deep sense of fairness and humanity that threads its way through everything she writes and that's perhaps never been truer than here, where she argues not just for the individuals who form the spine of the story, but the smallest insects that make up our Earth. It's hugely admirable and will touch the hearts and minds of countless readers who might not otherwise have considered viewing the world in such ways.. 3.5 stars

This was my second Elif Shafak book and it certainly did not disappoint.

I really loved the chapters from the perspective of the tree and at times it almost felt like I was read non-fiction due to all the knowledge I was absorbing. I loved how those chapters tied into the narrative and came together in such a beautiful way at the end.

A highly atmospheric novel which largely alternates between the tale of a schoolgirl Ada and her tree loving father in 2010 London and the story of both her parents on Cyprus in 1974 - the book like Richard Powers "The Overstory" derives its literary structure from trees and many of its ideas from "The Hidden Life of Trees" (although the author more credits the nature writing of Richard Mabey) but is very distinctive from that book in its exploration of the landscape of the Island of Cyprus and its history (including of course the tumultuous Civil War which left the Island and its inhabitants divided).

One's reaction to this book will I think be largely determined by how you feel about one of the key narrators of the book being a fig tree - perhaps the novel should come with a twigger warning!

This gives the book a magic realism element - and many readers will I think find something magical about the writing

This was great! Everything that 10 Minutes 8 Seconds in This Strange World did wrong, was done well here. Whereas that work felt a but stunted besides its cool concept (especially losing me in the third act), this book has a confident voice and easily guides you along the story it wants to tell.

It's magical realism done right. I mean, this has a convincing tree as a POV. How cool is that? There are lots of little setpieces here that are weaved into a brilliantly crafted story about migration, loss, moving on, love, your roots, and nature.

Learned quite a bit about the violent and devestating history of Cyprus in the 20th century and the effects it had well into the 21st century. The subject is handled in a respectful and beautiful manner.

This is another beautifully written book from Elif Shafak.
It is a touching family drama mixed with the historic recounting of awful suffering in Cyprus during the later part of the 20th century.
Most of which is told from the point of view of a fig tree. An extremely emotional read which I’m giving ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Island of Missing Trees is an atmospheric novel that is split across a number of POVs and timelines, the most interesting of which is the narration of a fig tree that has lived since before our earliest timeline (1970s). The fig tree is what held this book together for me, it was full of brilliant information about trees and tree life and without it I would likely not have finished this book.

The other characters and even the story line did not feel developed enough and made everything appear quite surface level in what should have been an impactful story. Shafak is a beloved author and I will definitely keep an eye out for their next work.

As one of the many people who adored Elif Shafak's last novel, '10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World', I was incredibly excited to check out her most recent novel, 'The Island of Missing Trees'.

The 'Island' at the heart of the novel is Cyprus, with great detail describing the years of conflict and division that led to, and has been caused by, the island being split into two parts- Northern Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus, the former with closer ties to Turkey, the latter with closer ties to Greece.

Early on, we meet Kostas and his daughter, Ada, living in London and going about their lives seemingly normally. Ada, named after the Greek for 'island', is a surly teenager who is a bit over everything, and Kostas is a sweet, caring father who is an expert on tree, writing about them and looking after them wherever he can.

However, we soon learn that not is all as peaceful as it seems to be- Kostas' love for trees seems to cross over into deep, reverential mourning for not only the country he left behind, but also the wife he lost. In a moment of confusion, an overwhelmed Ada screams in the middle of a class, and becomes a viral sensation, much to her shame and fear.

We soon learn that there is a lot more wrapped up in the history of them both- a history of the power of nature, and the power of love to unite two disparate parts of a nation and one's identity- Turkey and Greece, North and South, nature and destruction, expectation and destiny, and that the tale is not quite as simple as a woman from the north and a man from the south having a 'forbidden' child.

We also, for example, learn of a gay couple, who are painted so touchingly that you cannot help but root for them, betrayals, and an aunt whose attempts at cleansing evil 'djinns' adds some lightness and mystery to the book.

Much like her previous book, Shafak's writing is gorgeous and sumptuous, wanting to capture every sensuous detail of the world around her- the fragrance of a fig tree, the catching of a voice, the smirk of lips, which makes this book an absolute pleasure to read.

I did at times, however, feel that the overall message, of duality, of peace and growth, was a little heavy-handed- for example, it did feel like the metaphor of tree roots under the surface was perhaps a little over-used in parts, and the metaphor of a tree being a stand-in for culture, belonging and memory occasionally felt like it was hitting you over the head somewhat,. We also do hear directly from a tree in the book, and I had some slight issues with the way the tree spoke as an omniscient narrator, and for some of its more predictable elements towards the end.

But overall, I almost didn't mind those in the end because the story was so touchingly done, and lovingly told. Shafak's eye for detail and love for place and memory are infectious- every nation and space in the book felt lived-in and loved, and that charm rubbed off on me by the end of the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(Twitter post)
The Island of Missing Trees by @Elif_Safak is out next month. I’m only a third in and I’m loving it. Magical, strange and beautiful writing. Recommended 🌞

Shafak is one of my favourite authors so it saddens me to say that this latest novel by her didn't really 'do it' for me. The reason why is the 'fig tree' narrator. At the best of times I'm not a fan of books narrated by inanimate objects or animals such as dogs. Here the fig tree was really irritating. It is 'omniscient' and wise' yet it also refers to very human science when explaining how tree communicate with one another or other tree-related facts. I just didn't buy into the fig tree being an actual tree. It sounded like an all-knowing & very human old lady.
Shafak's also needs to work on her teen characters. I noticed this in Three Daughters of Eve but her teenage girls are painfully one-dimensional and in this case do not sound like a believable 'modern' teen. The way they speak and behave seems more suited to a family friendly 80s show.

Elif Shafak is a superb storyteller. And The Island of Missing Trees is no exception.

Young Ada struggles with her identity in London home, her parents are Cypriots, mother Defne Muslim Turk and father Kostas Christian Greek. After mother's death Ada finds emotionally disconnected from her plant-obsessed father, she feels alone and full of teenage angst. Only when her aunt comes to visit from Cyprus, Ada starts to understand her roots and heritage.

The book is a love story between young adults, divided by religion and nationality in conflicted Cyprus. It's not only about love between Defne and Kostas, but also men, families, plants and animals.

As is said in the novel: "People on both sides of the island suffered – and people on both sides would hate it if you said that aloud."‘Why?’ "Because the past is a dark, distorted mirror. You look at it, you only see your own pain. There is no room in there for someone else’s pain."

My favourite narrator is a fig tree, full of wisdom and profundity: "Throughout my long life, I have observed, again and again, this psychological pendulum that drives human nature. Every few decades they sway into a zone of optimism and insist on seeing everything through a rosy filter, only to be challenged and shaken by events and catapulted back into their habitual apathy and depression."

Novel deals with deep trauma, far-reaching consequences of the war, politics, immigration melancholia and hate. And above all - love.

Wherever there is war and a painful partition, there will be no winners, human or otherwise.

Renewal and healing take time.

Powerful and moving, so well written, absolutely fabulous novel.

Highly recommended!

This was an incredible read, it flows beautifully and is easily accessible yet contains such lyrical and breathtaking writing. I was blown away and completely enraptured age to page.
The story is set between the past experiences on Cyprus of Defne (A Turkish Cypriot young lady) and Kostas (a Greek Cypriot man), and Ada, a British teenager struggling with her identity, inner confidence and feeling disconnected to her plant-obsessive Father since her Mother's death. In-between both of these stories there's a connected observer who narrates both the terrible experiences of the troubles in Cyprus and what is happening to Ada in the present day.
I've read previous books regarding the violent division of Cyprus, and also similar circumstances in Greek islands, between Christian Greeks and Muslim Turks, this book details quite a few stories that are not fictional (though obviously adapted for the story) and I felt expressed the trauma and pain of all sides of the islanders very fairly. I was also extremely impressed with how Shafak wrote about the generational trauma of the families involved and how this shaped things for those not even born on the island; it's such a significant and important thing to think about and makes the violence and division of the island all the more tragic.

I read 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds In This Strange World last year and absolutely loved it. When I got approved for The Island Of Missing Trees, I was beyond excited.

This book is a love story in the midst of conflict. It is 1974 on the island of Cyprus. Two teenagers, Kostas (Greek & Christian) & Defne (Turkish & Muslim) fall in love. Their love is forbidden and they meet regularly in secret in a tavern. The fig tree is the centre of it all and witnesses everything from war, love, joy, conflict, loss and despair. In the 2010s, in London, 16 year old Ada has never been to the island her parents were born. She is desperate to uncover their past. Her only connection to the land itself is the fig tree growing in her garden.

This book was phenomenal. I really struggled to put it down. It’s based on a history I am not overly familiar with so it was very intriguing reading about the conflict. Shafak is an amazing storyteller and weaves each narrative with absolute ease. I think my favourite parts were when the book was written from the perspective of the fig tree. The tree’s voice is full of wisdom and clarity. I thought this was so clever and I think Shafak’s inclusion of that particular narrative really added a deeper layer to the story.

The human characters are really well written too. For example, Shafak captures modern teenage angst with Ada, but with a deeper profoundness with the struggles she has to contend with.

Shafak explores the impacts of war in this book. The trauma and the divide it leaves behind on communities, as well as the generational trauma. She also delves into migration, grief, culture, identity, family roots and nature, among other themes.

The Island Of Missing Trees is such a moving, and emotional read with an other-worldly kind of quality to it. Shafak’s talent really shines through.
Thank you to Viking Books UK & NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

A love story interwoven around conflict, a divided island, literally by a partition, different religions, nationalities and migration. The story is told from a mixture of flashbacks, present day and from a fig tree which works well. This story touches upon human suffering as well as depression but I felt some characters/themes were underdeveloped. 3 1/2 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin General UK for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.